The United Kingdom and Uganda have reaffirmed their longstanding partnership, highlighting cooperation across sport, healthcare, trade, education and investment during the annual King’s Birthday Party hosted by the British High Commission in Kampala on November 12, 2026.
The celebration, held at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, brought together government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders, civil society representatives, sporting champions and friends of the United Kingdom.
This year’s event placed sport at the centre of the relationship, highlighting Uganda’s sporting achievements, preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and its upcoming debut at the Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Uganda recently became the 26th nation to join the Invictus Community, creating opportunities for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans to use sport as a platform for recovery, resilience and reintegration.
The celebration also showcased football, golf, rugby, netball and para-sports, alongside the impact of existing UK-supported sporting initiatives. Through Premier Skills, a partnership between the British Council and the English Premier League, more than 2,200 Ugandan coaches, referees and educators have been trained, reaching over 25,000 young people.
Speaking as the guest of honour, Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth said sport provides an important platform for bringing people together and strengthening relationships between countries.
“As we look towards 2027, Uganda’s co-hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations presents an exciting opportunity. We invite British nationals to experience our beautiful country, our wonderful weather, our hospitality and our people.”
Oboth said AFCON would create opportunities for tourism, investment, infrastructure development and youth empowerment, while bringing communities closer and opening new avenues for cooperation.
British High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Lisa Chesney, said the King’s Birthday celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on the longstanding relationship between the two countries and identify areas for deeper collaboration.
Using sport as an analogy for international relations, Chesney emphasised that effective partnerships depend on mutual understanding, honest communication and shared objectives.
“Partnership is not about one player keeping possession; it’s about knowing when to pass and working towards a shared goal. Partnership is an honest friendship.”
She acknowledged that Britain and Uganda would not always agree on every issue but said strong partnerships required countries to engage respectfully, listen to one another and work towards common goals.
“Teammates don’t always agree, and neither do countries. Britain and Uganda will not always see every issue the same way. Good friends and teammates seldom do. But partners disagree honestly and respectfully, listen and work together. And I feel lucky that we have this in our UK-Ugandan partnership.”
Beyond sport, the celebration highlighted the scale of the economic relationship between the two countries, particularly in investment and development financing.
UK Export Finance has a portfolio of approximately £1 billion in Uganda, with a further £1 billion in the pipeline, reflecting the potential for expanded British-backed financing and investment in the country.
Education and defence cooperation also remain important pillars of the relationship. Thousands of Ugandans have studied in the United Kingdom through Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships, alongside defence training programmes.
In healthcare, the partnership includes 35 years of collaboration between the UK’s Medical Research Council and the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe. Around 1,000 Ugandan nurses also work in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), illustrating another dimension of the longstanding relationship.
The UK is also supporting efforts to protect Uganda’s natural habitats, which underpin a tourism industry supporting more than 600,000 jobs.
As Uganda prepares to co-host AFCON 2027 and makes its debut at the Invictus Games, the celebration underscored the breadth of UK-Uganda cooperation and the opportunities to extend it across economic, social and sporting sectors.
